The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we step into the ring for a claret-heavy brawl in the classic beat ‘em up, Bloody Roar.
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Developer: Hudson Soft
Region(s) available: North America, Japan
Players: 1-2
Bloody Roar is a viscerally-satisfying brawler with a difference. Originally released under the name of Beastorizer in the arcades, the bloody fighter centres on a gaggle of warriors – dubbed Zoanthropes – who are able to assume the form of various human/beast hybrids. While the game functions like your bread-and-butter brawler, this claret-spraying mechanic works to differentiate the series from its contemporaries, which spawned four subsequent sequels. There’s a healthy roster to check out, including Ninja man Bakuryu, hulking circus boss Greg, slippery snob Hans, and mercenary type Alan, with a whopping 200 moves to master.
In addition to the bog-standard life bar, each combatant also boasts a secondary meter which, when charged, allows them to unleash the beast within. The range of animal alter-egos is no less curious than it is diverse, ranging from a killer rabbit, a hulking gorilla and a fox. Aside from the obvious aesthetical overhaul, transforming into a beast also opens the door on a slew of fresh manoeuvres to try out, and your characters also execute their standard moves a little more sharpish. The PS conversion also packs in the exclusive Beast Rave mode, which lets you pummel your victims into submission with barely any discernible break in between your attacks. Elsewhere, and in what would become an industry standard for beat ’em ups, you can take advantage of your surroundings, such using your foe as a battering ram and sending them flying through a wall, chucking them out of the ring or leaping off of walls for a meaty air combo.
The flip side of this, however, is that utilizing this fists-of-fury style onslaught eats up your Beast bar, returning you fighter to their regular human state. As you’d expect, each fighter has their own unique combat style, and there’s ample combos to brush up on if you can be bothered to tear yourself away from simply mashing away at the buttons – which, to be fair, gets the job done most of the time. As with any half decent brawler worth its salt, there’s a fine balance between all characters, with some sluggish but packing brute force, while others are noticeably more nimble but deal less damage. True to its name, Bloody Roar is chock full of the red stuff, with buckets of claret flying about the place as you claw, kick and generally pulverise your victims into oblivion. A unique and brutal brawler, Bloody Roar spawed a number of sequels over the years, though the series’ future sadly remains uncertain following the demise of the U.S. arm of developer Hudson Entertainment.
Join us again tomorrow for another gander Inside PlayStation Network.